Automatic bilge water draining devices



Dec. l1, 1962 J. w. ALLMAND AUTOMATIC BIIQGE WATER DRAINING DEVICES IFiled Aug. 23, 1960 dwf/v M Haw/,v0

25W/Www United States Patent G 3,067,714 AUTGMATIC BILGE WATER DRAININGDEVICES John W. Ailmand, 321 Palmwood Lane,

Key Biscayne, Fla. Filed Aug. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 51,348 '7 Claims. (Cl.114-185) This invention relates to valves and, in particular, toautomatic bilge water drain Valves for boats.

(.)ne object of this invention is to provide an automatic drain valvefor a boat which will open in response to the motion of the boat todrain the bilge water from the inside of the boat, and which will closewhen the boat slows or stops whereby to prevent backflow of water intothe bilge.

Another object is to provide an automatic drain valve for a boat asdescribed above which Will free the attention of the Operator of theboat from the manual performance of this task while the boat is underway, so that he may give his attention to navigation and other moreimportant concerns.

Another object is to provide anautomatic drain valve of the foregoingcharacter which may be adapted to an .existing boat having aconventional drain hole located 1n its transom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring thecoursc of the following description of the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through thetransomand keep of a boat showing the automatic drain valve installed,accord-ing to one-form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of an installation of one modied formof theautomatic drain valve; and

FIGURE 3 is a similar view 0f an installation of a second modied form ofthe automatic-drain valve.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 shows a stern portion of aboat, generally designated 10, of conventional construction, having anapproximately horizontal keel portion 12 intersecting with anapproximately vertical transom portion 14. nThe bottom of the transom 14is tted with a drain Yhole 16 located upon the hull center line or atany other suitableand convenient position upon the transom 14. The hole16 is provided with a cylindrical lining sleeve 18 of metal or otherdurable material having annular end flanges 20 and 22. While a circularhole has been chosen to illustrate the present form of the inventiondescribed below, the drain hole and consequently the plug fitting intoit may be of any suitable and convenient shape. Y s

The automatic drain valve, generally designated 24, consists generallyof a plug 26, retarding disc or plate 28, compression spring 30,threadedy supporting rod 32 and perforated spring abutment 34. Thethreaded supporting rod 32 is 'disposed upon the center line axis of thedrain hole 16 and passes through bores in the plug 26, retarding disc 28and spring abutment 34, all of which are coaxial with the 'drain hole16. The supporting rod 32 has a threaded end portion 36 directed towardthe inside of the boat, the threading extending along the rod to thelocation of the plug 26. The supporting rod 32 terminates in an enlargedend portion 38 at its opposite end directed toward the outside of theboat. The plug 26 is secured by nut means 40 upon the threadedsupporting rod 32 and against the retarding plate 28, which is in turnaccordingly secured against the enlarged end portion 38 of thesupporting rod 32. The plug 26 approximates the shape of a pair ofconnected truncated cones, having its greatest diameter adjacent theretarder 28 where the diameter is slightly greater than the insidediameter of the lining sleeve 18. The smallest diameter of the plug 26is at the end adjacent the nut 40 where the diameter Fice issubstantially less than the inside diameter of the lining sleeve 18. Thecompression spring 30 is coiled around the threaded end portion 36 ofthe supporting rod 32 with one end of the spring 30 resting against theperforated abutment 34 intermediate the ends of the supporting rod 32and the other end against a nut 42 at the extremity of the threaded end36 of the supporting rod 32. The spring abutment 34 is disposed againstthe annular end flange 20 of the lining sleeve 18 and slidably supportsthe supporting rod 32. Perforations 44 are provided around the peripheryof the spring abutment 34 for the passage of water.

In the manufacture of the automatic drain valve 24, the plug 26 andretarder 28 are fastened to the supporting rod 32 by the nut 40. Theresulting assembly is installed in the drain hole 16 against the outsideedge of the lining sleeve 18. The spring abutment 34 is then slippedonto the supporting rod 32 and against the inside flange 20 of thelining s'eeve 18. The compression spring 30 is placed around thethreaded end 36 of the supporting rod 32 which protrudes beyond thespring abutment 34, and the spring is locked in place by the nut 42 onthe extremity of the threaded end 36.

In the operation of the automatic drain valve 24, the force of thecompression spring 30 acts against the stationary spring abutment 34which is stationary with respect to the transom, and against the nut 42.In consequence, the supporting rod 32, by means of the nut 42 mountedthereon, tends to be shifted to the left (FIG- URE l) toward the insideof the boat by the action of the compression spring 30. This movement ishalted when the plug 26, shifting along with the rod 32, pushes againstthe outside edge of the sleeve 18 to close the hole 16. This closing ofthe automatic drain valve 24 occurs when the boat 10 is not in motion oris moving slowly.

When the boat 10 is in motion, its bow tends to be lifted up in thewater and consequently its stern tends to drop, putting the keep 12 atan inclined angle from the horizontal. Accordingly, any water that hascollected in the bilge or inside bottom of the boat tends to move towardthe stern and consequently toward the drain hole 16, particularly if thehull is of approximately V-shaped cross-section and the drain hole islocated at the bottom of the transom 14 upon the longitudinalcenterlineof the hull, as shown in the drawing. During the motion of theVessel, the water passing under the keel 12 acts upon the retarder 28.In response to this action, the retarder 28 tends to move rearwardly tothe right as shown in FIGURE 1, in a direction away from the stern ofthevboat. In so doing, it draws with it the supporting rod 32 and theplug 26, and nuts 48 and 42 mounted thereon, thereby compressing thecompression spring 30. The motion of the plug 26 to the right (FIGURE l)withdraws thevplug 26 from annular contact with the drain hole sleevelining 18. This action permits water gathered at the stern of the boatas described above to pass through the perforations 44 in the springabutment 34, through the drain hole 16, past the withdrawn plug 26 andout into the race of water moving astern of the boat. The movement ofthe water under the keel and astern of the boat also lcreates a suctionupon the opened drain hole 16 which assists the flow of bilge waterdrained from inside the boat. ,-5-

When the boat 10 cornes to rest or to move at slow speeds, the retarder28 is no longer capableof counteracting the force of the compressionspring 30. Accordingly, the compression spring 30 expands longitudinallyto resume its original shape, thereby forcing the nut 4,2, thesupporting rod 32, and the nut 40, plug 26 and re- 3 tarder 28 allmounted thereon back toward the inside of the boat, closing the hole 16again with the plug 26.

In the modilication of the automatic drain valve shown in FIGURE.2the.refer-ence numerals. designating parts which. are substantiallyI similarto those described in FIGURE 1 have. been retained and increased by 100.The modified: automatic drainvalve, generally designated 124, differsfrom the automatic drain valve 24 largely in thef form of its retarder,generally designated 150. The retarder 150 has an arm portion orportions 152. extendingupwardly therefrom and terminating in a hingeconnection 154 embracing a pin 156 mounted upon a hinge bracket 1.58 ofa hinge, generally designated 160, bolted or otherwise secured to thetransom 114. Accordingly, the plug 126 travels in an arcuate path aroundthe hinge 160; Since the distance the plug 126 travels is related to thedifference of length of the compressed and expanded states of thecompression spring 134), the arcuate path of. theplug I26 approximates astraight line. This is particularly true when the distance between thehinge 160 and supporting rodV 132 is: increased in relation to thelength of the supporting rody 132. The principal modification of theoperation ofthe modiiied valve 124 is: that the action of the hinge 160stabilizes the path of` the plug 126 so that the plug 126 will notbe-easily deflected and bent in an undesirable manner.

In the modication of the automatic drain valve shown in FIGURE 3, thereference numerals designating parts which' are substantially similar tothose described in FIG- URE l have beenretained and increased by 200.The moditied automatic drain valve, generally designated 224, has aretarder 270l connected to the lower armA 272 of a torsion spring 274coiled around al hingepin 276 mounted upona hinge bracket 2780i a hinge,generally designated 280. The upper arm 282 of the torsion spring 274-isanchored to andv engages the hinge bracket 278 as a spring abutment. Thetorsion spring 274 replaces the compression spring, 30 of thevalve 24,and accordingly, the nut 42 and spring abutment 34 are omitted in thevalve 224- and the supporting rod 232 is consequent-ly shortened.

In the operation of the automatic drain valve 224, the torsion spring274 acts to press the retarder 270 toward the transom 214- andaccordingly to hold the plug 226 in place in the hole *216. The actionof the water as described above, in pushing the retarder 270'away fromthe transom 214 overcomes the force of the torsion spring 274, andallows the plug 226 to be released from the hole 21'6 until the actionof the water ceases.

What I claim is:

1.. An automatic bilgey water draining device for insertion in a hole inthe lower rear portion of a boat hull, said device comprising an annulardrain valve seat member adapted to be inserted in alignment with thehole in the boat hull; a drain valve member mounted adjacent therearward end of said valve seat member and movable into and out ofclosing relationship therewith, a retarder element disposed rearwardlyof said valve member and operatively connected thereto, said retarderelement having a portion thereof adapted to project beyond the boat hullinto,the path of the Water passing thereby,` means for supporting saidvalve member for motion into and out of closing relationship with saidvalve seat member, and a resilient element operatively connected to saidvalve member and normally urging said valve member into closingrelationship With said valve seat member, said supporting meansincluding a guide member disposed adjacent said valve seat member and aguided member connected to said valve member and slidably engaging saidguide member for guided motion relatively thereto.

2. An automatic bilge water draining device, according to claim l,wherein the guide member is mounted inwardly of said valve seatY memberand wherein said guided member comprises an elongated rod slidablyengaging said guide member and yieldingly engaged by said resilientelement.

3. An automatic bilge water. draining device, according to claim 2,wherein the guide member has a water passageway therethrough and alsohas a guide bore, and wherein said elongated rod slidably engages saidguide bore.

4. An automaticY bilge water drainingy device, according to claim 3,wherein sai'dresilient element comprises a spring having, one endabuttingly engaging said guide member and-'having its other endvyieldingly engaging said guided' member.

5'. An automatic bilge water draining device, according to claiml,wherein said supporting means includes: a bracket adapted' to befastened to the boat hull adjacent the hole therein and a valve membercarrier pivotally mounted on said bracket for swinging motion toward andaway from the outer end of said valve. seat member, said valve memberybeing mounted on saidcarrier and swinging therewith into and out ofclosing engagement with said valve seat member.

6. An automatic bilge water draining device, according to claim 5whereinsaid retarder is connected to the lower end ofsaid valve member carrierbelow said valve member.

7. An automatic bilge water draining device for insertion` in a hole inthe lower rear portion of a boat hull, said device comprising an annulardrain valvev seat member adapted to. be inserted' in alignment with therhole in the boat hull; a drain valve member mounted adjacent therearwardend of said valve seat member and movable into and out ofclosing relationship therewith, a retarder element'disposedrearwardly ofsaid valve member andoperatively connected thereto, saidreta-rderelement having a portion thereof vadapted to project beyond the boathull into the path of.` the water passing thereby, means for supportingsaid valve member for motion intoand-out of closing relationship withsaid valve seat member, and' a resilient element operatively connectedto said valve member and normally urging said valve member into closingrelationship with said' valve seat member, said'retarder, element beingapproximately plate-shaped and having a portion thereof projecting'below saidV valveV seat and adapted to project beyond the boat hullinto the path. of the water passing thereby.

References Cited'in the leofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTSv 2,966,875Ircy: --.1331; 3, 19611

